Jerry Harris, star of theNetflixdocuseriesCheer,has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges of sexual misconduct.
He did not appear in court in-person.
Harris faces a minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted for each of the sexual exploitation charges and a minimum of 10 years for the enticement charge,ETreported.
Harris has been behind bars since he was arrested in September on a federal charge for allegedly producing child pornography. He is accused of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself,” according to a statement from federal officials.
Jerry Harris.Getty Images
The Netflix star allegedly “contacted the underage boy on a social media application and repeatedly enticed him to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself and send them to Harris, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The minor victim informed Harris during their initial online encounter that he was 13 years old.”
Jerry Harris.Courtesy Netflix
The suit alleges he leveraged his prominence in the cheerleading community to groom the two for abuse.
While Harris' attorney has not commented on the charges, in September a spokesperson for Harris released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying, “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
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Earlier this month, Harris was hit withseven additional chargesof alleged sex crimes and child pornography.
He was also charged with one count of using the internet to allegedly “persuade, induce, and entice” one of the minors to engage in sexual activity. The alleged acts took place in Florida, Illinois and Texas.
It’s unclear when Harris is scheduled to appear in court next.
source: people.com
